The 2006 season will open on Saturday, Sept. 2, on the road at Jacksonville (Fla.) University. Gardner-Webb will then tangle with a pair of Ohio Valley Conference foes, tacking Tennessee Tech at home on September 9 (6:00 pm ET kickoff) and traveling for a rematch with Tennessee-Martin on September 16.

The Bulldogs will host defending national champion Appalachian State on September 23 in Spangler Stadium (6:00 pm ET kickoff) – the two programs’ first meeting since 1989 and first ever in Boiling Springs. The game also marks the Mountaineers’ first visit to a Big South Conference venue since 2002 (at Liberty).

A road game at growing I-AA power Southeastern Louisiana on September 30 follows, before Gardner-Webb returns home to face Glenville (WVa.) State in its lone sub-Division I-AA contest of the season on October 7 (6:00 pm ET kickoff).

Conference play begins on October 21 at Liberty, with the four-game Big South slate coming in consecutive weeks. GWU will host VMI on October 28 (1:30 pm ET / Homecoming), travel to Charleston Southern on November 4 and host Coastal Carolina on November 11 (1:30 pm ET kickoff).

The ‘Dogs will close out the regular season at home against Southern Conference member Wofford on November 18 (1:30 pm ET kickoff). The Terriers and Bulldogs played a wild contest in the 2005 season finale in Spangler Stadium, with GWU rallying from a 41-7 deficit to take a 42-41 lead – and Wofford recovering to take a 56-42 win in a shootout.

“We’re pleased to have the 2006 schedule completed and feel like it’s a great one for our program,” said GWU Vice President for Athletics Chuck Burch. “The Appalachian State game at home on September 23 is one that our fans should enjoy tremendously. We opened men’s basketball season with the defending national champions this season (at the University of North Carolina), so to have the defending I-AA champs come into Boiling Springs is exciting for our program and the University.

“Six home games should provide the fans in and around Cleveland County with plenty of opportunities to see Gardner-Webb University play against competitive and established I-AA programs. Three of the six home games are against teams that were nationally ranked at some point last season, which should generate plenty of interest in the area.”

Gardner-Webb, which finished the 2005 campaign with a 5-6 mark, is expected to welcome back as many as 18 players who started on offense or defense last season. All game times are tentative and are subject to change.

2006 Gardner-Webb Football Schedule

09/02 @ Jacksonville (TBA)

09/09 TENNESSEE TECH (6:00)

09/16 @ UT-Martin (TBA)

09/23 APPALACHIAN STATE (6:00)

09/30 @ Southeastern Louisiana (TBA)

10/14 GLENVILLE STATE (6:00)

10/21 @ Liberty (TBA) *

10/28 VMI (1:30) * Homecoming 2006

11/04 @ Charleston Southern (1:30) *

11/11 COASTAL CAROLINA (1:30) *

11/18 WOFFORD (1:30)

All Times Tentative And Subject To Change